Mezzoni the Brigand — page 142: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

134 MEZZONI THE BRIGAND. Zs was being watched, how every movement was scanned and duly weighed. Whatever the connection might be between Al- berto Corrello and the countess, the detective felt instinctively that if he desired to obtain possession of the former he must watch the house of the latter. He was certain, long ago, that Alberto’s means of in- formation kept him so informed that he knew his own palace was not a safe place for him to resort to, though he had hard work to convince the local police of this. Still the palace was carefully watched, lest the boldness of the man might bring him back for a special purpose. Of course, the detective could not watch a party both day and night. He required sleep like other people; so he employed a trusted agent during most of the day, while he secured the necessary modicum of repose, but during the night he was a vigilant, though unsuspected watcher of the Amadeo palace. It was on the fourth night since the discovery of the secret vault that the detective, while himself se- creted in an opposite building, saw a man, just after midnight, enter the gates and afterward the palace, which he had so long and so patiently watched. This man seemed to be about the size of Alberto Corrello, but if it was the culprit, he was yet so thoroughly disguised, as to puzzle the experienced and watchful officer. He certainly seemed to be ex- pected, and was admitted immediately. The detec- tive crept near enough to see his face by the bright moonlight. The man wore a slight mustache, too light and thin, the detective thought, to be false ; his hair was short, and apparently of an iron orTray hue, and his clothes, not of the Neapolitan cut or style, but rather French in appearance. He seemed comicbooks.com —